Never Really Friends
by canny-bairn
Summary: Gideon calls Rossi seven years after he left the BAU to catch up on things. NO SLASH! Small mentions of G/K, JJ/H, OFC for everyone else no real romance talk though - characters are CBS' not mine apart form the OFCs! Chapter 9 is new!
1. Chapter 1

_This is my second attempt at a CM fic so sorry if it's not that great I'm trying to improve. This isn't slash just a conversation between Rossi and Gideon. They aren't my most favourite characters but this idea just came to me. Warnings for those who don't like shipping, all HET pairings except for Prentiss/OFC. Later pairings include Rossi/OFC, Reid/OFC, Morgan/OFC, Garcia/ Kevin and JJ/Hotch. Hope you enjoy if you've have taken the time to read thanks! _

Chapter 1 - Niceties

There was really no point in him coming. To be honest it wasn't as if either of them were ever really friends. But the phone call he got three days ago to '_catch up on things' _peaked his curiosity and in fairness although David Rossi was a changed man in many ways, Jason Gideon brought out the worst in him and yeah if he admitted it to himself he hadn't really changed that much. After all he never really lost his arrogance he just learnt how to dial it down so he wouldn't be honoured with the now infamous Aaron Hotchner death glare.

He pushed the door open to the diner that he regularly passed on his way up to Little Creek. He had insisted on choosing the meeting place and the time, he'd be damned if he let his former colleague feel he had the control in this little get together. In truth Jason Gideon had always made him defensive. It wasn't that Gideon was smarter than him, that he knew which buttons to press to make Rossi defensive no it was just he _thought, _noworse than that he _believed_ he was smarter and knew which buttons to press. They were polar opposites, they always were. Rossi went to community college but Gideon was Ivy League. Gideon joined the army whereas Rossi enrolled in the Marine Corps. Jason hiked while Dave hunted. Rossi franchised his knowledge while Gideon decided to teach his. They were like yin and yang, night and day, Democrats and Republicans; they weren't supposed to get along.

David Rossi would be the first to admit he could be an egoistic jerk but his comeback to the BAU seven years ago had defiantly changed him. The team, his family had changed him. Taking a seat in the booth near the far window he ordered his coffee and a slice of pie not bothering to wait for his company to arrive. He saw the red truck pull into the car park and watched as the fellow profiler cautiously enters the diner. No words were exchanged an unsure smile and he silently sat down. They stared at each other, both standing their ground, neither wanting to be the first to speak.

The waitress interrupted their standoff by placing Rossi's coffee and pie in front of him. _"Is that all I can get for you sugar?"_

"_Yeah thanks, Doreen."_ He squinted at her name badge, god he was getting old he needed his glasses.

"_Anything I can get for you hun?"_ She turned to Gideon

"_Just a coffee thank you"_ Straight to the point as usual

"_So, tell me Jason"_ He took a bite of his pie wanting to make this almost painful for him_ "What the hell do you want?"_


	2. Chapter 2

_Here's chapter two for anyone who is reading. If you have the time let me know what you think please be nice if you can't be nice at least try and be constructive, thanks for reading!_

_Chapter 2 – Asking the question_

"_You've always had a way with words Dave!"_

"_My way with words has made me a rich man, Gideon" _Yeah he went there

"_To be honest I've always been more of a Max Ryan fan myself" Gideon might have been out of the game a while but David Rossi's ego was one thing he nor no-one else could forget "but your books have come in handy as doorstops"_

"_Well I'm glad you've found a use for them and anyway doorstop or cup coaster I still get the royalties!"_

Gideon chuckled and leaned back allowing Doreen to put the coffee on the table, she said to just shout if they needed anything and again she left leaving the two aged former agents in an awkward silence. Rossi took a sip of his coffee and cleared his throat "not to sound impatient Jason but I'm pretty sure you didn't want to meet up to talk about my growing wealth did you?"

"_No. No I didn't"_ He shook his head and lifted his cup to his mouth "_Your teaching in Quantico now?"_

Rossi looked at him warily _"Yeah for the last eighteen months"_

"_With all due respect I never saw you as a teacher, no personal gain you know?"_

Dave smirked _"What can I say I'm a changed man"_

They both eyed each other, grins on their faces, each subconsciously wanting to be the alpha male in this little gathering. Gideon was first to break eye contact looking down at his coffee on the table. He looked old and tired, he rubbed his hand over his forehead the way you do when a headache threatens to appear. He sighed and turned his attention back to his former associate. Rossi had an infuriating smirk on his face almost taunting Gideon to say something he would regret.

"_Why did you leave the BAU for teaching?" _

"_It was time to get new blood in the place besides my wife was fairly adamant about getting me out of the field and home more often."_ Rossi knew exactly where this was heading

"_Is that wife number four or five now?"_ The three things everyone in the bureau knew about Rossi. 1. He's an excellent profiler. 2. He's the reason there are so many fraternization rules in place. 3. He loves wedding cake or was it divorce attorneys?

Dave chuckled _"Anna's my fourth wife, she's a food critic for The Post and I'm one hell of a lucky guy"_

"_I'm glad you're happy Dave" _He seemed sincere and kind of sad. Gideon looked almost recoiled within himself and Dave found himself feeling pity towards the slightly younger man.

"_How about you Jason? Are you happy?"_

"_I'm.....I'm"_ He was shifting in his seat, he looked uncomfortable, the question was unnerving to him and he appeared to have no idea of how to answer it._ "I guess I'm satisfied."_

"_Well as long as you're 'satisfied'. It's funny how things turn out don't you think?" _Dave pushed his now empty plate into the centre of the table and signalled to Doreen for a top up of coffee _"You know, me being back in the Bureau, teaching and you being, erm, satisfied with life."_

Doreen came to the table topped up both of their cups and took the plate away. Gideon's face looked as though it was contemplating a way to ask a difficult question. Rossi knew what the question was but he let Gideon squirm with his own thoughts

"Yeah I guess it is" His voice was almost distant as his eyes were. Then something changed. He sat up straight, gripped his hands around the cup and blew out a long puff of air, his eyes became focused on the man in front of him, his mouth opened, now or never _"How are they?"_

_So I don't really know how to write these characters hopefully I'm writing them okay. My plan is to mention what each of the team have been up to over the last seven years since Gideon has been gone, so obviously we only what they've been up to for the first two years after Gideon left the next five years is what my contribution to the CM world, where we would get more JJ storylines and general background info for all of the team! Please review if you have time thanks. _


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimers in the summary! Here is the next chapter for anyone who is reading, please review thanks!_

Chapter 3 – Well for starters

Dave smiled. There it was the question he'd been apprehensively waiting for over the last three days. He imagined different scenarios of how to answer or not answer it. He'd imagined laughing, yelling, storming off maybe even threatening the man who left his family in turmoil seven years ago. Now however looking at Gideon he did not see the obnoxious and obstinate 'super' profiler but instead saw a struggling and rather pathetic man.

"_How are they_?" Dave repeated

"_I know I don't deserve to know but_,"

Rossi interrupted, "_life carried on without you Jason hope you didn't expect the team to be still dwelling on your sudden and rather dramatic departure?"_

"_Of course not, I knew they'd be better off without me. I just need to know that they're all doing ok."_

"_To help yourself feel better about leaving in the first place? Well they managed just fine without you, Jason. They're close tight knit group which I'm extremely protective of so, let's be clear right now, I'm not here to be the go to guy that brings you back into their lives and drags up all of their godforsaken daddy issues"_

Gideon smirked acknowledging the team's personal demons and then he nodded accepting that he wasn't a part of their lives anymore and it was because of his own doing.

Dave adjusted his position and leaned back, "_Well for starters only Morgan, Prentiss and Garcia are still in the BAU. JJ was the first to leave, shortly followed by Reid, then Hotch and lastly me. Everyone is close still though, we all meet up at least once a week for a poker game or a dinner or something. Everyone has a family, everyone is happy and getting on with their lives"_

"_Thats good. I'm glad you are all happy" There was a slight pang to his voice_

"_Garcia married another tech, Kevin, god it must be nearly five years ago now, their wedding was eclectic to say the least and we had a whole dramatic shoot out after the reception, in retrospect it was climatic you know like it could have been a big season ending on some procedural TV drama, but luckily no one was seriously hurt. JJ got a bullet in the shoulder which kind of started the end of her relationship with her then boyfriend whatshisname but at the end of the day Garcia and Kevin were happily married and sent off on their honeymoon and everyone else on the team were safe." _ Dave grinned at the memory of the way in which Garcia had to be restrained when they caught the gang leader that had ordered the shooting to delay his court process. "_Garcia and_ Kevin _have three four year old boys and let me tell you that pregnancy strengthened the teams bond if only by trying to keep Garcia happy. But the team got through all the death threats and Garcia is an amazing, albeit unique mother she works from home quite a bit but hasn't left the BAU. She says she has to be there to protect all of her little munchkins through using her worldly knowledge of all things technical"_

They both expressed amusement in Garcia's statement then Gideon's face tensed and he asked_ "So there have been some dangerous times for the team then?"_

Dave took a sip of his beverage "_You've got no idea"_

_Up next is a bit about Reid if anyone is interested!_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hi so here's Reid's chapter. I know there are some major Reid fans out there so hopefully you like it. Let me know what you think. Thanks for all of the great reviews so far it's nice to know I don't completely suck at writing. Hope you enjoy reading!**_

Chapter 4 – Reid's Shenanigans

Rossi paused thinking of all the dangers the team had been in since he had arrived seven years ago. Hotch had been involved in many dangerous situations; the car bomb in New York, Foyet, Foyet again, countless hostage negotiations, and then there was the case with the sadistic cat lady, yes he is often mocked by the rest of the team because of that case. Prentiss had been held hostage by a cult and has had so many concussions he's lost track; Garcia was shot by Battle and scathed unharmed when one UNSUB had carjacked her to get information on the team – that UNSUB got the surprise of his life when she used the pepper spray Morgan had given her on him and broke so quickly he flew out of the windscreen. JJ wasn't as fortunate when a cop turn UNSUB who had been stalking her held hostage for twenty eight hours in the press room of the Phoenix field office. She suffered the effects of repeatedly being tazored as well as a collapsed lung after he kicked her so hard. It's safe to say he got to see the bad side of Hotch, himself and Morgan when she managed to convince him to give himself up. Also JJ had the experiences of getting a shovel to the head and a bullet to the shoulder before she was transferred three years ago. Morgan had been relatively lucky in the time Dave has known him apart from the odd injury after an adventurous tackle. He himself had been only been a UNSUBs centre of attention once and that ended with Prentiss being hit on the head with a crowbar.

"_There have been so many incidents I'm surprised we're all still here" _Rossi stated rather frankly _"But if any of us have been in the most dangerous situations it would be the teams' resident genius and UNSUB magnet, Spencer Reid"_

Gideon looked concerned at his counterpart across the table. It had been no secret that Reid and Gideon used to be close nor had it been any secret that it was Reid who was the most effected by Gideon's departure.

Rossi continued, _"I mean for example for Reid's thirtieth birthday Garcia made him a pink furred covered scrap book entitle 'Reid's Shenanigans' and it was full of newspaper cuttings, weather reports and photos of things Reid missed from the times he was personally involved in some kind case."_

"_What kind of cases?" _Gideon asked sharply

He had hit a nerve by mentioning Reid and Dave knew it. Dave also knew Gideon had a son and wondered if they had become any closer since he had left the BAU.

"_Well there was the time he got held hostage by a cult, got infected with anthrax, shot in the leg, he was held hostage by a psychotic librarian and by a zookeeper with a personality disorder, there was the time a hooker held him up at gunpoint and mugged him when we were all out looking for witnesses. He's been knocked out by a teenage UNSUB who threw a dustbin at his head then most amazingly there was the time when we all thought he had been kidnapped by members of a Czechoslovakian Mob but six hours later we found him in the broom closet he accidently locked himself in." _

"_Huh, I'm not sure how to respond to all that" _Gideon shook his head

"_We generally just laugh it off."_

"_Is that why he left because of the personal involvement in cases_? _How's he doing now with not being in the BAU_?" Gideon was trying to choose his words carefully without vulnerably opening himself up

"_His mother got worse. I'm guessing you know about her schizophrenia?" _Gideon nodded and he continued_ "It got to the extent where she didn't know who he was anymore. Spencer's father came back into his life not long before Diana passed away but it didn't lessen the blow of losing his mother" _Dave paused not feeling entirely comfortable with detailing the worst parts of Reid's life since Gideon left_. _

"_You know it's been hard for him, the reason he left was because he relapsed"_ Dave watched Gideon's face turned from curiosity to guilt "_but he's cleaned himself up, we were all there for him, his girlfriend noticed the signs and made sure he got help and she stuck by his side throughout everything"_

"_His girlfriend?"_

"_Yeah Dr Reid went out and got himself a girlfriend, Natalie. She's been brilliant, Nat's a nurse and has a teenage son Joey. Great kid, thinks Reid's a little strange as we all do but they're a great little family. Reid left the BAU two years ago, Hotch dragged him to rehab to get clean and now he's doing amazing, he's just started teaching Bio-psychology at Georgetown."_

Gideon smiled then looked away obviously trying to composure himself. "_You want more pie?"_

_**Up next is Prentiss for those who might be wondering!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**So I forgot to mention that there is a bit of Femslash in the form of Prentiss/OFC but there's not much depth in to it. Hope everyone is still enjoying it. Thanks again for the reviews and if you have the time let me know what you think of this chapter. Thank you!**_

Chapter 5 - Prentiss' headache

Orders were put in for two slices of apple pie and the silence returned. Rossi took this as a hint to continue with detailing the teams' wellbeing but wasn't really sure about where to start.

"_Soooo," _Dave elongated his words to try and dissolve the awkwardness the silence had brought. Then he said the first thing he could think of "Prentiss is gay now."

Yep it was seamless. Now there was even more awkward silence and Gideon looked completely confused as to why Dave would blurt something like that out.

"_She and her partner Sara got married two years ago, they've adopted two kids, Claudie she's thirteen and Samuel he's six, it's never quiet in their house she's always laughing about how she's got a constant headache now not just because she somehow keeps getting concussions from random UNSUBS_" He was rambling and it was because telling Gideon about how well the team was doing somehow felt like kicking a man while he was down.

"_Prentiss fits in more comfortable with the team now then? I know before I left Hotch wasn't exactly sure she was in the team on reputable merits." _

"_Emily has taken it upon herself to be the sister of the team, her compartmentalizing she often did disappeared around the time she met Sara and now she's all about expressing emotions or what not. Prentiss always makes sure we know she's there to talk to, she doesn't want any of us to go off the 'deep end' as she says"_

He paused realising what he said and to who. It's common for him to joke with Emily about her ability to put her foot in her mouth during delicate conversations now he was thinking this must be what Prentiss feels like when she says something before thinking it through and as a result he was privileged to a rather vicious look from his former colleague but he decided it was best just to continue_. _

"_She earned Hotch's appreciation sometime before I got there and she's been a vital member of the team ever since, she's the second most senior member now of the BAU"_

Gideon explained relaxing back into the chair,_ "I didn't work with her for that long. She always came across as she had something to prove when she first joined but I always liked her, she had the smarts."_

Rossi smiled in agreement, grateful that the conversation had become less tense.

"_You seem pretty close to the team. Although not to be blunt Dave, I never really took you for a team player."_

"_Yeah well it wasn't easy at first. The truth is, they were there for me when I needed their help and I came to see that by sharing thoughts and so on within the group we could be of more use to more people more efficiently and I grew used to them being a part of my life. I guess became attached"_

"_So what, no conflicts with the team over all these years surely your ego has got you into trouble with them?" _

From the looks of it Gideon was avoiding further talk about what he lost the rights to being a part of and was trying to change the discussion something to else to distract the profiler sitting across from him from his emotions. 

"_Classic transference Jason, really I'm impressed, good job"_

_**Author rant, Apologies! - So Prentiss isn't necessarily my most favourite character, I love her in comparison to Elle though and I kind of like Rossi/Prentiss scenes but it was a bit difficult to come up with something for her. Hope no one minds put her in a relationship with an OFC and not one of the team or a OMC, that was to do with the thing one of the writers said in an interview a while ago but I'm not going to say anything else in case I'm not supposed to (I also know there are lots of shippers of Prentiss/with everyone on the team and there appears to be a growing number of fics that have her shipped with JJ, but imo Hotch belongs with JJ in ficland sorry!). **__**Please review if you have any thoughts. Up next is Morgan. **_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Thanks to everyone who is still reading! This one wasn't easy to write at all and it didn't really turn out how I wanted but it's done now so hope people like it. If you have the time let me know what you think in a review, it really makes my want to write more quickly, thank you. **_

Chapter six – Relying on others

Doreen, a slightly plump woman in her fifties and then some, wearing a traditional diner's uniform came over to the table carrying rather skilfully two plates of apple pie and the coffee pot.

"You guys look as though you might need a top up" She placed the pies on the table and poured the coffee in to the cups "There we are my dears, let me know if you need anything else"

Both thanked her and she was on her way again to tend to a practically empty diner. Apart from themselves there were only three other people in the place all sitting at separate booths lost in their own thoughts oblivious to the friction occurring between the two old profilers.

"_Can we just keep talking about the team and not about me please?" _He was pleading now and Rossi was found himself feeling disappointed that his former adversary wasn't being as confrontational as he had expected. He raised his hands up in a signal of surrender and went back to the previous question.

"_Conflict doesn't often happen in the team that often. Well unless you count Reid and Garcia's scrabble-a-thons. That woman gets mean when Reid starts to win" _Dave took a bite of his slice of pie "Derek_ can still be a tad defensive at times which his past is responsible for I guess, and I'm not saying he's the one that always causes conflict it's just sometimes, especially at the beginning of cases it's like he needs every decision to be justified but he has at least attempted to be less, shall we say, less doubtful at times since his position in the unit has changed. He's defiantly become more trusting now with everyone on the team, since he became a parent. He's started to rely on others even."_

"_Morgan has Kids? I thought he said he'd stick to practicing?"_

"_Yeah well it wasn't exactly planned, trust me, but the moment Catherine told him she was pregnant he stepped up. Now his little girl has him wrapped around his finger"_

"_How old is his daughter?_

"_She was born not long before I left the unit, so like a year and a half. She's defiantly got her fathers' charm and her mother's looks. He met his wife Catherine on a case a couple of years ago, she is a defence lawyer, they didn't exactly click straight away but I guess there's a thin line between love and hate, you just got to look and my second marriage to show that." _They both laughed at Dave's little dig at his earlier marriage.

"_Fatherhood did wonders for Morgan. That's not to say he necessarily understand the parenthood thing at first. When JJ had her son Henry, Morgan tended to be a little critical of JJ's case choices. On one occasion he got her so wound up he wasn't walking straight for a week but then his second or third case back after Cassie was born it hit him hard and JJ was the one to help him deal and now he's not just a great father figure for Cassie but for the entire BAU." _

"_So he's the Unit Chief now? You said Prentiss was second most senior and that Hotch isn't there anymore so I'm guessing he's SAC?"_Gideon queried

Rossi drank some coffee and picked up his fork again rather nonchalantly he began to explain the situation._ "Yeah he took over when he got back off paternity leave. He was the most logical choice. Morgan took over for a while during Hotch's, erm difficult time with the Boston Reaper."_

Their eyes locked again, Gideon looked rather culpable and Rossi wanted nothing more than to inappropriately make some snide comment about his lack of presence during one of the most difficult times the team has undoubtedly been through. But Gideon managed to find his words first.

"_I read about what happened. With Hailey. I sent flowers but didn't sign the card. I guess I didn't want to impose in some way. I thought of picking up the phone on many occasions but it didn't seem right somehow. How has he been?" _

_**I'm pretty sure you've guessed that it's Hotch next but I thought I'd state the obvious anyway!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Hi sorry for the little wait I got a bit stumped. Hope people are still interested. There's a tiny smidgen of JJ/Hotch (sorry to non shippers) as advertised but like in other chapter's it isn't a huge amount. Let me know what you think in a review please. **_

Rossi glared at the man in front of him. While Gideon might have been close to Reid during his stint in the BAU Dave was extremely close and protective towards Hotch. It stemmed from his time during his first period in the unit. Their bond continued during his retirement, their friendship survived his second time as a field agent and now after his actual retirement from the BAU they were still close. The first time he met the man he realized that despite his dry sense of humour and his professionalism he was one of the good guys who would continue the legacy of the BAU, his excellent profiling abilities was just a bonus. Hotch told him things straight, if he was being a jerk, Hotch was the one who would take him aside and tell him, when Dave first came back to the unit Hotch was the one who made him get involved and become part of the family. That is what Hotch was to him, family. Hotch's family became his own and the awful time that surrounded Hailey's death was horrible. There's no other ways to explain it. For Aaron Hotchner his ex wife's death was the most traumatic time of his life and now the man the who was once consider a friend of Hotch's was asking how he had been since the tragic events.

Gideon didn't know the pain that Hotch went through when Hailey filed for divorce and took Jack. Only for a few months after aguishly telling his son he wouldn't be around as much he was blown up in New York which led to weeks of hearing loss. The former profiler opposite him had no idea the excruciating injuries Hotch suffered by the stabbing Foyet was responsible for. Gideon didn't know of the weeks of concern the entire team went through when Hotch was unresponsive and almost negligence of his emotions when Hailey and Jack went into protective custody. He didn't know how much the team had worried that he was going to become dead inside after he found his ex lying on the floor of his former bedroom covered in her own blood mutilated by the hands of Foyet. None of them were sure how or if Hotch was ever to come back from killing a man with his bare hands. Then came the times when Hotch needed the team the most after the harrowing events. They had all helped with Jack even Rossi himself had spent the odd afternoon watching over the little boy and he was a self confessed anti child man. When Hotch needed to talk to someone, any of the team would have been there to listen. When his position as unit chief was questioned the team were there to fully support their boss.

No. Gideon didn't know or understand any of it. All because he didn't want to impose on the difficult times his supposed friend was going through. Rossi returned to answering his question. Rather smarmily he spoke.

"_He's been peachy, really the last seven years has been a ball of laughs for him. Apparently the stoic looks and no sense of humour was a decoy from his alter ego Captain Funny. The 10am briefing's were like a comedy stand up gig when Hotch took the remote. "_

"_Dave I don't want to drag up any painful memories I just.."_

"_Really you want to drag up any painful memories? Then what the hell are we doing here Jason cos I don't remember the last time we had a heart to heart over coffee."_

"_I just...."_

Dave took a deep breath looking at the pathetic shell of a man sitting in front of him. He rolled his eyes not knowing if he wanted to continue talking about his close friend. Rossi had become an adopted grandparent for Jack and over the last few years he had spent festive seasons with the Hotchner boys as well as most of the team.

"_The loss of Hailey was soul destroying for Hotch. He blamed himself for not being able to save her. The guilt has only recently diminished somewhat. The team has had a difficult time of getting through to him, but you remember what he's like, stiff collar and ever the professional that's never changed." _

"_He always has his tie fastened too tightly I always used to joke about that with him."_

They stared at each other another standoff was taking place and Dave was losing his patience.

"_Hotch was seriously affected by you leaving like how you did. He was upset that you never explained to him your reasons. But you have no idea how you're leaving helped him become an even better leader than he already was."_

Gideon smiled sadly knowing that Hotch was an excellent leader and thankful that he remained that after his departure.

"_Hotch spent the year after Hailey's death trying to make things work for him and Jack. He never actually dealt with the trauma as he should of. Cases that should have affected him were brushed off as just another one and life continued as normal as it could. After a while though, it caught up with him. When Jack first started asking things about his mom and when Hailey's sister began to question Hotch's parenting abilities and he lost it. I mean as far as Jack was concerned as well as mostly everyone else thought he was doing good, keeping it together and being his usual self but he wasn't. It was like he was walking around in a daze and the scotch was the only way to dull the ache he was feeling. I tried to get through to him to get him talk to someone about it all but he didn't want to hear it. He thought he was handling it." _

"_So what happened?"_

Rossi sighed, gesturing with his hands_ "To be honest I've got no idea. We were working a local case involving a string of murdered kids. He was agitated the whole time and it ended with him yelling at JJ when she challenged his approach to dealing with the parents. She took him aside said something to him and the next thing we all know he's taking a vacation with Jack and he started going to talk regularly to a therapist when he came back."_

"_So just like that he changed?"_

"_God no, he was still his usual stoic self he just started to deal with things better. He even lost the tie for a while."_

Gideon smirked at the reference to his previous statement. Gideon was about to ask what Hotch was up to now he wasn't the BAU's unit chief when Dave's phone rang. Rossi excused himself and left Gideon sitting in the booth alone. Something he was getting used to these days. Part of him wanted to do nothing more than ignore Rossi's earlier comment about re entering the team's lives but another part knew that by simply coming here and talking to Dave was the wrong thing to do. He should have left his past where it belonged, in the past. He left for a reason. He didn't want that life anymore where death stains every part of every day. But by the sounds of it the team had been through one hell of a bad time and had stood by each other whereas he had given up on them. Now he didn't deserve to be involved in their lives even if he wanted to be because he walked out on them and in doing so he had strengthened their relationships with each other. He hadn't ruined them, like some small narcissistic part of him wished he had because he thought he had been someone they had relied on when in fact he was someone they had to endure when he took centre stage.

Rossi returned apologetically "_Sorry that was Anna reminding me to pick up a bottle of wine on the way home."_

"_No problem, I don't want to keep you too long if you have to be home."_

"_Nah its fine Anna's in the kitchen and I can't be around her when she's got a knife in her hand. I'm like a back seat driver in the kitchen and it always ends in an argument so as long as I don't forget the red wine, there should be no conflicts tonight."_

Gideon smiled politely silently jealous of the happy life the older man had. _"So what is Hotch doing now? Is he still in the Bureau?"_

Rossi hung his head down staring at the empty plate in front of him regretting not leaving when Gideon gave him an opening. It wasn't that he minded being the storyteller of the little gathering it was just he felt uncomfortable detailing his family's life to someone they probably wouldn't be too enthused about him telling.

"_He is. He was offered Strauss' position as section chief when she moved on to greener pastures last year. He's doing a great job but misses the field much to the annoyance of JJ"_

"_Why would it annoy JJ?"_

Dave laughed _"Hotch and JJ have become closer over the last few years. When we all saw what was there between them we took wagers on how long it would take Hotch and JJ to come to their senses about each other. It's still early days but it's going good."_

"_Is that why JJ was the first to leave the team?"_

_**Forgot to say thanks for all the previous reviews and story alerts. There isn't much longer to go for this fic unfortunately, so if you have any opinions on how Rossi and Gideon's conversation should end let me know. Should it be conflictive, sad, happy, open ended etc? Up next is JJ.....obviously!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Hi sorry for the wait. This has been getting more and more difficult to write and hasn't necessarily come out how I wanted it too. **_

_**This is JJ's chapter with mentions of her relationship with Hotch so apologies to those who don't ship. But please let me know what you think in a review anyway.**_

Rossi shook his head "_No she left for other reasons_"

Gideon noticed Rossi's demeanour change. His former colleague straightened and became stiff "_Ooh, I just thought that..."_

"_JJ and Hotch are far too professional to have acted upon any feelings they had for each other while working with each other we all know that. But neither of them had even approached the idea of being with each other when JJ left." _

"_So where did she go?"_

"_She got transferred to DC to liaise with other agencies. It was a promotion for her and she's excellent at her job"_

"_She always was. Tough job for anyone liaising for the BAU but now to liaise with other agencies you've got to have tough skin for that kind of job."_

"_Yea well JJ is a tough person. She had some difficult times before she left the team. Some cases got a little too dangerous and well she has a kid to raise by herself, she had to make a difficult choice but ultimately the right one, so she left."_

Rossi signalled for another refill of coffee to Doreen and waited for Jason's next question.

"_JJ has a kid too?"_

"_His name is Henry, he's a smart kid for a six year old, but he's always so hyperactive too. He's got huge blue eyes and blonde hair and he's the kind of kid you have an amusing conversation with. JJ's an excellent and natural born mother, not just for Henry and for Jack but the way she looks after the whole team is admirable. Now that she's with Hotch they're all becoming a close little family. Henry looks up to him like Hotch is the pope or something and Jack is so protective of the little guy. They're all great together."_

Doreen interrupted their conversation, clearing their plates and filling up the coffee mugs. She retreated back to where she was standing earlier and they started their talking again.

"_JJ and Hotch are great together. JJ makes him smile and Hotch does the same for her. They're basically living together now but I guess they're still in the intense stage of the relationship, so being with each other constantly is the norm."_

"_I'm surprised that they're even together, I never saw anything but respect between the pair."_

"_Yeah well it took us all too practically tell them they liked each other. JJ and Hotch started spending more and more time together with the kids once Will left, that was JJ's previous partner. Then JJ got attacked on a case by a cop we were working with and Hotch wouldn't let her out of his sight. Not long after all of the drama she was transferred and well Hotch got all bratty again like he did when she went on maternity leave. After we started to get used to JJ not being our liaison anymore she asked for help on a case and I guess we all knew then that there was something between them. I took Hotch fishing and told him not to let her go and the girls told JJ she needed to make a move and then the next thing we know we're all being ordered to have team dinners weekly and JJ and Hotch are heads over heels for each other at every little gathering."_

Gideon smirked and asked almost with ridicule, "_So Hotch enforces a weekly dinner and the team just comply, I knew people were afraid of him but I always thought the team had their own minds?"_

Dave laughed realising that Gideon really didn't understand the teams' dynamics. "_You don't get it. The team would do anything for each other and especially for Aaron. The weekly dinners are something we all look forward too. There is no work talk just general banter. Spending down time with each other outside of work is a perk; it always has been for that team. Besides Hotch isn't the one we're scared of. JJ has a mean shot and I was always told never mess with a blonde who knows how to use a gun."_

They both chuckled and the conversation soon faltered again. Both knew that their meeting was coming to an end and were both apprehensive about how this was going to go down. Both knew that neither was necessarily tactful when dealing with people.Rossi was beginning to get agitated with the awkward situation they were constantly finding themselves in. He knew Jason wanted to know what he had missed over the last seven years but he couldn't help wonder if he had any other ulterior motives to this meeting.

_**# So I'm pretty sure the next chapter is going to be the last one, I've broken up from Uni for five weeks so I'll have more time to write when I'm not "studying". I've already started two JJ/Hotch fics and one team gen fic due to insomnia which will hopefully be posted soon. Thanks to anyone who is still reading and has reviewed let me know what you guys think about the direction this fic should go in! **_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Hi here's the last chapter. I'm not entirely sure if people are going to like how I've decided to end it. I've just watched one of the old episodes and it has reinstated that I like Rossi with the team a lot more than the team with Gideon! Controversial to some maybe but it's my opinion. Anyway enjoy and please let me know what you think!**_

Dusk was casting a soft light throughout the diner and the woodland views behind the main road were somewhat serine. Gideon stretched out but his eyes were solely on Dave whose glare was becoming almost fearsome obviously he was struggling with the silence that had once again taken hold.

"_My son, Stephen, convinced me to come and talk to you about the team."_

Dave looked at him confused as to why Gideon would start to open up now when they'd been talking for nearly two hours.

"_Oh really? Why did your son feel it necessary for you to come to me to talk?"_

"_We have become a little closer since I left and he's been an influence on how I've lived my life away from the BAU."_

"_Well ain't that sweet. I'm glad your father and son moment has led to this riveting discussion about the last seven years."_

Gideon chuckled and nodded at his old friend's snarky comment. "_You know Dave having other people in your life is a blessing but can be a curse in a way."_

Rossi stared at him disbelief "_Is that why you left? The team had become a curse for you?"_

"_No, No what we were doing, what we were seeing. The dark thoughts that ran through my head. That is why I left"_

"_Huh who would have thought profiling serial killers would lead to dark thoughts?"_

Gideon looked uncomfortable at the way Dave was becoming sarcastic and defensive. They were both leaning in on the table towards each other and their voices had becoming louder as they continued on the intense discussion.

"_What I saw, what I dealt with its plagued my nightmares for years. Stephen suggested that I start writing it down and so I did. He read what I wrote and he passed it on to a publisher friend."_

"_So you're writing a book? Are you here to ask me to write a forward for the book cos honestly that will be one of the most hilarious things I've heard in a long time?"_

Gideon smirked; his hands were emotive as he tried to explain _"No I'm not here to ask you to write a forward Dave, I'm not exactly sure why I asked you here, I guessed I just wanted to make sure the team were doing okay."_

Rossi looked at him uncertain of why he didn't like Gideon's explanation smugly Dave shrugged his shoulders and began to speak again_. "Huh. So I guess we'll be in competition again? It will be just like the good old days. Which cases are you writing about as I'm fairly sure between myself and Max Ryan we've covered the majority of them." _

"_It's not really focused on one particular case. It's more concentrated on the effects of the job. It looks at how Agents deal with the backlash of getting into the minds of the most prolific killers"_

Rossi looked down at the table breaking eye contact with the younger man. _"Have you mentioned the team in your little book?"_

"_Not by name"_

Dave laughed he clutched on to the coffee cup trying to hold on to the little patience he had left.

"_So you wanted to know if the team were doing okay to help with your conscience. Not because you abandoned them with no explanation but because you've wrote about them in your book about struggling with the job?"_

"_It's not like that people need to know about the sacrifices the team have to make to do what they do. What sacrifices I had to make. Anyway how many books have you wrote about the job? Don't you think it's rather hypocritical of you to be talking about my conscience?"_

"_I write crime books not books that talk about my team's emotional welfare, Jason_." Rossi practically spat out his name. He could feel his blood boiling inside of him. He could see that leaving the team meant nothing to him, he would gladly write about the hardships the team faces in coming to terms with what they see. But he's not mentioning any names so that makes everything so much better.

"_David I don't want to upset anyone. We're old friends and I thought by getting in touch with you, hearing about how well the team are doing.... I just....This is my way to explain everything, don't you get that?"_

Rossi glared at him in ridicule. _"Wow you're even more pathetic than I first thought. You're not just an egoistical jerk but you're naive even. It's naive that you thought we were ever actually friends. Let's be honest Jason we were never really friends. I didn't like you. I really don't like you now. I hated you for how you moulded the team to be so reliant on you. And now you're getting a pay check by exploiting the team's emotional responses to difficult cases."_

"_None of them will be formerly mentioned Dave. The book is from my perspective..."_

"_Of course it is Jason, isn't that how the whole world is formed, around your perspective?"_

"_What does that mean?"_ Gideon's eyes scrunched in confusion

"_It means that you are selfish and you think your opinions are more important than everyone else's. Don't you get what this will do to team Gideon?"_

"_Dave I know you said you weren't going to be my portal to the team but if you think that explaining to them about the book and what it is about that they'll understand better..."_

_Dave's jaw dropped, he could feel his skin turning all shades of fiery reds. He felt the urge to interrupt, "Hell no. You stay as far away from the team as possible Jason"_

"_Dave" Gideon's hands were raised_

"_No Jason. They don't need your explanation"_

Gideon turned his attention to his coat that was at his side; he dug through one of the deep pockets and produced a wad of paper_. "Here I've got a transcript from it, give it a read it's not what you think."_

"_You know what Jason I don't think I want to read it but thanks for the offer. I should go back to wife and get on with my life and try to get the last two hours of my life back" _ As Rossi tried to get out of the booth, Gideon grabbed his arm trying to hold him place.

"_Dave will you please tell the team that we at least talked."_

The two aging men looked at each other. Dave's face changed he had an almost mocking look etched across his tanned skin, his lips were pouting and he talked as though he was dealing with an infant. _"Sure I will buddy and when you're book comes out we'll all be first in the queue at the bookstore"_

"_Dave I'm sorry you're taking this badly, I never thought you would be..."_

"_Don't flatter yourself Jason you never really think about your actions on others. I really don't want to hear your apologies I just want you to enjoy you're satisfied life I know how fulfilling life is on a book tour. Stay away from them Jason they don't need you in their lives. I'm going home to see my wife now."_

As Rossi stood he didn't take his eyes off Gideon. He got his wallet out and slammed some money on the table and nodded to Doreen who smiled in return. He made his way outside to his Green truck. As he turned the key in the ignition, he tried to figure out why he actually came in the first place. He could see Gideon's lonely figure in the window of the diner. Then he knew why he came. It wasn't because of curiosity as he thought previously. It was because that could have easily been him. Sitting in a diner by himself. Taking advantage of his former colleagues would have been something he would have had no problem with. But that was before the team. Jason was right what the team does and sees it's not pretty, it's dark and it hammers your mind with all sorts of thoughts. But they're so much better because of it now, they're closer together and he wouldn't have it any other way. Because they're his family and he's not completely sure what he would do without them. 

_**Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed you guys are awesome. **_


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